Re: UI Scripting of FileMaker
Re: UI Scripting of FileMaker
- Subject: Re: UI Scripting of FileMaker
- From: Gary Lists <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2003 02:17:20 -0500
- Http: //bau2.uibk.ac.at/sg/python/Sounds/HolyGrail.wav/taunt.wav
On or about 11/19/03 11:51 PM, dave dowling wrote:
>
Anyone who has done any power FileMaking knows that to be able to
>
script ScriptMaker, and, even more important, Field Definitions, has
>
great value.
I am not sure if that was intended as some slight jab ;), but I would agree
that automating field definitions across a batch of files is useful. That's
why I wrote an applescript tool to do just that. It only requires the
freeware KeyQuencer. You can batch create fields of text, number, global
and even calculation type.
I created precisely for the need you outline in your point 1. below.
>
I tried to use UI scripting to accomplish this very thing
>
the first day UI Scripting was released, and was very sorry to learn it
>
was not possible.
The Define Fields and Define Layouts are relatively open to KeyQuencer, and
so I wrote KQ macros into AS handlers (and built a library using the 'has'
AS_Loader and its binding tools, so that one can issue the following
commands to FileMaker:
kq_make_field_basic(thisName, thisType)
kq_add_global_field(theGlobalsName, theGlobalsType)
kq_add_calculation_field(theCalcFieldsName, initialValue)
kq_add_blank_layout(theLayoutName, includeState)
kq_duplicate_layout()
Field definition automation includes type of field and, if calculation, an
initial value for the calculation.
>
I can say from my experience in FileMaker circles
>
that Simon is a FileMaker heavy lifter, and would not have made this
>
request if there had not been good reason.
No one said otherwise, I think. Though several asked what the application in
this case might be.
>
2. FileMaker's Script Import utility works about half of the time.
>
Importing scripts often results in broken relationships, missing fields
>
and lost scripts.
It works all the time, but requires that Field Definitions and Layout
Definitions already be present and same-named before the Import will
preserve the script intact. This is one reason why the KQ tool I use is
helpful to me. I can create new fields and layouts in many hundreds of
files just by dropping a folder onto the applet. Then, for tasks that can
not be easily automated (like the Script Maker) there may still be some
manual work, but much less.
>
Had UI Scripting worked with FileMaker's dialogs,
>
script importing could have been automated, saving a great deal of
>
time/money.
I agree. As was mentioned earlier, perhaps as FM 7 and later versions emerge
there will be more compliance with Mac guidelines and all of those useful
manual widgets will be exposed to AS. (But I really hope they just open up
the ScriptMaker for text editing scripts...so I can use BBE for that too! ;)
>
Thanks.
>
Dave Dowling
I do suspect that more and more applications will want to open their
interface to UI Scripting as new versions are released. It seems a
long-awaited natural extension of AppleScript and the Mac.
--
Gary
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